“The Cision/Newhouse School survey results document the fact that we’ve hit a tipping point in marketing and communication, with social media now a key way to communicate with and through the media,” said Heidi Sullivan, Vice President, Global Media Research, Cision.

Old Media/PR Habits Die Hard

While the sheer scale and shift to social media interaction are impressive, it’s worth noting that traditional communication is still preferred in a couple of areas.

94% of media and 79% of other digital influencers (88.6% combined) still prefer to receive news releases by e-mail. Fewer than 5% preferred telephone or fax. Point taken!

Does that mean that life just got easier for PR pros pitching media? Not so much. There are still challenges in our relationship with journalists and other influencers.

While 47% of “other” digital influencers found social media “somewhat reliable” only 37% of journalists agreed. Clearly, you’ll still need a great idea and meaningful pitch to gain media coverage or influence.

Now and in the future, public relations professionals had better be getting way more “social” and engaged without losing the critical ability to find the news and make it compelling for every channel – traditional or social.

So, how are you doing? Are you fully engaged? Or are “influencer” relations gradually replacing traditional media relations in your everyday work? I’d enjoy hearing from you in the comments below.

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